Egypt
says it has temporarily suspended the investigation into the abduction
and murder of the Italian student, Giulio Regeni, without arresting
anyone in a case which has strained Cairo’s ties with Rome.
The
28-year-old postgraduate researcher from the University of Cambridge
went missing in February 2016. His tortured and mutilated body was found
nine days later in a ditch next to a road outside Cairo.
“I only
recognised him by the tip of his nose. As for everything else, it was
not our Giulio,” Regeni’s mother had said after seeing the badly
disfigured body for the first time.
Regeni was studying Egypt’s
labour unions when he went missing. His case has shone a spotlight on
the worsening human rights situation under the regime of President Abdel
Fattah el Sisi.
Family members and activists have mounted a
sustained campaign over the years for the culprits to face punishment.
They blame Egypt’s notorious Security Service , known for using torture against political opponents, for Regeni’s murder.
Cairo
has denied any official hand and instead put forward different theories
including the possibility of a theft attempt that went wrong.
In a statement, Egypt’s public prosecutor said the case was being temporarily closed while the killer remains “unknown”.
“The Egyptian Public Prosecution announces that it's found firm evidence that gang members committed the robbery against the victim, as his belongings were found at the residence of 1 of the gang members, and the testimonies of some witnesses supported this,” it said.
Although the authorities identified the purported gang, they didn't share any evidence linking it to Regeni's killing.
On
the other hand, Italian prosecutors are preparing to charge five
Egyptian security officials including a major, Magdy Ibrquaim Abdelaal
Sharif.
Since Cairo says there is a lack of evidence with which to
prosecute any of its officials, the trial in Italy is expected to be
held in absentia.
Italian newspapers reported late last month that
investigators in Rome have testimonies from witnesses who say that
Regeni was whisked away by Egypt’s National Security Agency agents to
two police barracks.
More details are sure to surface once the trial
starts. But just the evidence collected after Regeni’s autopsy had
indicated that his killing could not be the result of a scuffle during
the theft.
Someone broke his wrist, toes, fingers, teeth and then his
neck, which caused his death. His initials were carved into his badly
burned and bruised skin - a sort of mutilation attributed to the Egyptian security officials, consistent with the days .
Throughout,
Egyptian officials have tried to throw the investigation off track by
offering different explanations - at times saying it was a car accident
and at others, that it was a love affair gone wrong.
Italian investigators have debunked these theories.
“In these five years, we are overcome with indignation by the countless injustices on the a part of
the Egyptian authorities. They kidnapped, tortured and murdered a son,
they sullied his reputation and discredited him, they lied and cheated
not only us, his parents, but all Italians,” Regeni’s family said in a
statement.
Human rights groups have repeatedly voiced concern about
the conduct of the Egyptian security apparatus. At least 57 people were
executed by Egyptian authorities in November and October alone. That’s quite 32 executed throughout 2019, says Amnesty International.
“These
executions are particularly appalling given the well documented and
systematic breaches of fair trial rights in Egypt, with courts often counting on torture-tainted ‘confessions’,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Middle East advocacy director in a statement.
The Egyptian government is accused of arresting thousands of political and civil rights activists on fabricated charges.
While American and European lawmakers have condemned human rights violations, their governments still back Sisi, a former military commander who came to power during a coup in 2013.
Social media is bold.
Social media is young.
Social media raises questions.
Social media is not satisfied with an answer.
Social media looks at the big picture.
Social media is interested in every detail.
social media is curious.
Social media is free.
Social media is irreplaceable.
But never irrelevant.
Social media is you.
(With input from news agency language)
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
We are a non-profit organization. Help us financially to keep our journalism free from government and corporate pressure
0 Comments